Blasting compound.



UNITED STATES Patented March 21,1905,

PATENT OFF CE.

FREDERICK Gr. DOKKENWADEL, OF OOSHOCTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY .M. GRANT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

BLASTING coMPouNo.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,480, dated March 21, 1905 Application filed May 20, 1904. Serial N6; 208,914.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. DOKKEN WADEL, acitizen of the United States, residing 7 cut fine "enough for my use in many well at Uoshocton, in the county of Coshocton and State of Ohio, have invented'certain' new and useful Improvements in Blasting Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to blasting compounds. i

The object of the invention is to produce a blasting compound or mixture which is safe,

against explosion except when confined and which by graduating the size of the ex plosivecarrying medium can be made slow-burning or quick-burning.

The invention consists in the'process of producing the compound to be described and in the compound so produced.

My compound is composed of the following ingredients: nitrate of soda, forty pounds; nitrate of potash, seven and one-half pounds;

sulfur, fifteen and one-half pounds; I These I known cutting-l'nac'hines. After the hu'sks are cut into small pieces they are soaked in water in which sugar hasbeen dissolved to a consistence as to sweetness less than the thin syrups of commerce. The principal object of the sugar-water is to secure adhesion of the. chemicals to the shredsof co-rn-husks; but the sugar is believed to have some chemical effect also. The shredded maizehusks are kept in the sugarwater until thoroughly soaked and are then pressed until the shreds are just damp with the sugar-water. The mixed chemicals are then applied to the dampened husks and stirred until. the hus'ks take up a coating of the chemicals. stand sometwe'lve hours, when the loose chemicals maybe sifted out or otherwise removed.

If the mixture has been well done, there-.will be but a small quantity of the chemicals to remove, as most of it will be attached to the shreds of husk, the sugar serving as a binding medium, or the loose chemicals may be mixed with the mass. The mixture is finally dried in the sun or over a heater of moderate'temperature. v

The compoundwhen dry has the appearance of fine'chips or turners shavings covered with meal.

The completed compound or mixture is light in weight in proportion to bulk. It can be handled with impunity, as it is not liable to explode except in confinement. The finer mixture packs closer, and as the'corn-husks The mass is then allowed to andsugar seems to retard combustion the' finer shreds burn more. slowly. The coarse shredspermit more rapid combustion, probably by reason'of the larger amount of air contained in the interstices of the mixture. I [The compound or'mixture has been successfully used for blasting'in theusual manner. It leaves copsiderableresiduum when burned and is not adapted for use as gunpowder.

I have used short sections of straw, leaves,

and the husks of other grain than maize for the purpose of a base to which the chemicals are attached; but 1 find maize-husks most satisfactory, as they are light, porous, easily combustible, and do not readily mat or pack in a solid bunch.

In burningthe compound very little smoke is produced, and the smoke and gases developed in mines by. blasting with this compound are less-than with" any other blasting compound known to me. i

What I claim is'-' 1. The method of producing a blasting compound, which consists 1n shredding vegetable husks to small pieces, soaking them in sugared water, expressing the liquid until the husks .are just (lamp, then covering the shreds with a mixture of pulverized sulfur, nitrate of soda, and nitrate of potash. v

A blasting mixture consisting of small I shreds of vegetable husk to which a compound of nitrate of soda, nitrate of potash, and'sulfur is attached by a saccharinebinding agent.

3. A blastingcompound consisting of shrednitrate of soda; nitrate of potash, and sulfur in about the proportions specified.

In testimony-whereof 1 aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' FREDERICK G DOKKENWADEL. Witnesses:

W. AQBARTLETT, M. E BROWN. 

